Rams-Saints Trade Buzz Gaining Steam As QB Questions Linger
The New Orleans Saints have some serious question marks at quarterback. After Derek Carr's retirement and a lengthy quarterback battle, head coach Kellen Moore opted to name Spencer Rattler the starter in New Orleans.
While Rattler hasn't been great, he hasn't been bad either, so the Saints will likely roll forward with him. However, there's a chance they could look to add a veteran to the team in order to boost their offense.
Bailey Bassett of ClutchPoints recently suggested the Saints could pursue Jimmy Garoppolo, the backup quarterback of the Los Angeles Rams, to bolster Coach Moore's quarterback room this season.
Saints could pursue Rams' Jimmy Garoppolo to bolster QB room
"The New Orleans Saints need some leadership in their quarterback room. The team’s two quarterbacks under contract are Spencer Rattler and Tyler Shough, who are sophomore and rookie signal callers, respectively," Bassett wrote. "The Saints aren’t in a position to win games this year, so they might as well continue throwing the youngsters into the fire in an effort to spark development. However, a guiding light in the form of a veteran quarterback could be beneficial for both Rattler and Shough.
"Jimmy Garoppolo is one of the best backup quarterbacks in the NFL. Trading for him could help in the development of Rattler and/or Shough, although it is possible that the Saints will find a new quarterback after the season. The one thing that could prevent a Garoppolo trade is the fact that Matthew Stafford came into the season with back problems, so the Rams may want to hold on to their backup."
This would be a bit of a head-scratcher for the Saints, as Garoppolo wouldn't take them to the Super Bowl. In fact, he might not be too much of an upgrade over Rattler, especially in the long term.
But if Moore and the coaching staff are worried about Rattler and rookie Tyler Shough, there's a chance they want a move like this to be made. At the very least, it would add solid depth to the team. The Saints could start Rattler until he proves to be a bad option. At that point, they'd be able to turn the season over to Garoppolo instead of forcing Shough to take the reins.
Saints-Bills Mock Trade Cuts Ties With WR Rashid Shaheed
The New Orleans Saints have a better-than-expected wide receiver room, although things haven't worked out overall for the team this season so far.
New Orleans is 0-3, but if you look at this roster on paper, there's some serious talent. Look at the receiver room, for example. The Saints have Chris Olave, Rashid Shaheed, Brandin Cooks, and Devaughn Vele as the team's top four. The Saints also have Mason Tipton and Trey Palmer. Ja'Lynn Polk amd Bub Means are both on the Injured Reserve.
There are some pieces in New Orleans, but if the Saints keep losing games, chatter about potential trades is only going to pick up more and more. This is already the case at 0-3. For example, Saints Wire's John Sigler shared a story talking about trade fits for Olave, Shaheed, Alvin Kamara, and Spencer Rattler.
Specifically for Shaheed, Sigler floated the Buffalo Bills as a hypothetical trade fit and had Shaheed's trade value worth a third-round pick.
Should the Saints consider a move like this?
"Unlike Olave, Shaheed is in the final year of his contract, and he's looking for a payday this March," Sigler said. "He should get it. The market for him was just set this summer when the Detroit Lions extended wide receiver Jameson Williams, who was a first-round pick the year Shaheed signed with the Saints as a rookie free agent. And their stats line up surprisingly well...
"That's our starting price in trade talks with the Buffalo Bills, who haven't gotten much out of their punt return squad. Shaheed could be a great weapon for Josh Allen for years to come. New Orleans gets: 2026 third round pick (projected No. 91). Buffalo gets: WR Rashid Shaheed. We'll take the comp pick a year earlier and be happy to do so. Buffalo's quarterbacks coach Ronald Curry has experience with Shaheed from their time together in New Orleans and would probably put in a good word to get this deal across the finish line."
Reaction:
A fun idea, but nothing more than that at this point. Shaheed will be available after the 2025 season ends. Therefore, it's at least worth considering the possibility that if the Saints are out of it in November, he's a guy that could be moved to bring back draft compensation.
With Shaheed's injury history, if the Saints have no shot at all at the playoffs in early March, this type of deal would make perfect sense. Getting a third-round pick seems high for Shaheed with him heading to free agency, but could a contender like Buffalo get desperate?
